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[daistanbul]

Player Info

Name: Meta
Age: 25
Contact: metathepanda, or you can contact me on AIM or Skype at metathepanda.
Characters Already in Teleios: None
Reserve: Link!

Character Basics:

Character Name: Yusuf Tazim
Journal: daistanbul
Age: 45 at death
Fandom: Assassin's Creed Franchise, specifically Revelations.
Canon Point: Just at the point of death.
Debt:

Class A: 85,500 years
Motivation TL;DR at the bottom of the app.
Class B: 19,500 years
Motivation TL;DR at the bottom of the app.
Class C: If I really have to fill out this section, I'll do it, but he's already ridiculously up there debt-wise. I'd say that's enough.
GRAND TOTAL: 105,000 years

Canon Character Section:

History: Yusuf's entry on the AssCreed Wiki

Personality:

The first thing to mention about Yusuf is his jovial and trickster-like nature. He is rarely seen with a frown, except in gravely serious situations (detailed below). All other times he seems to have smiles, jokes, and laughter to spare. It is safe to say that he understands the value of lightheartedness in the life of an Assassin, who experiences death and danger every day. He is always cracking a joke about the current situation if he deems it to be not a big deal; in fact it may be safe to say that when Yusuf is being serious, it should be treated as a VERY big deal. For instance, upon first meeting Ezio, he rather famously calls him "Ezio Auditore de Lalala" instead of letting Ezio prompt him on the "da Firenze", then commenting that he forgets "that Italian gibberish". He teases Ezio often when he complains of his moves not going unnoticed. When introducing Ezio to the rest of the Assassins, he comments, "Our mentor is not afraid to weep openly in front of pupils." Then, when facing a group of Byzantine guards alone, he teases them by telling Ezio, "Come say hello to my new friends!" Finally, when he was introducing Ezio to bombs, he convinced Ezio that it would explode if handled improperly, then laughed at the "look on his face" and continued his lesson. He always cracks jokes like this throughout the game, chuckles at things he finds amusing, and is rarely seen with a serious look on his face.

The few times he is seen truly being solemn are when it involves the safety of the people of Istanbul. Though he still throws in jokes every now and again, they are not said with the same amount of humor as his usual jests, and they can get downright morbid. One instance was the rumor of an assassination attempt on the royal family by Byzantines, in which Yusuf calmly explains, "we should trade stories if I am not dead by this time tomorrow". He also does not expect Ezio to follow him, saying "[T]his is not your fight. No need to snare yourself in the Ottoman affairs". When Ezio mentions an ulterior motive for helping Yusuf with this mission, mainly the Masyaf Keys, Yusuf becomes defensive of his prince, stating, "we want to protect our Shehzade, not interrogate him". He does tease Ezio intermittently throughout the mission, but it was more a sarcastic jab now and then overshadowed by the seriousness of the mission. Another instance of this was when Ezio tried to incite the crowd around the Arsenal into a riot. Yusuf did not like this plan, because it threatened the safety of the common people; when Ezio did it anyway, Yusuf insisted that Ezio protect them and draw the guards' attention away from the innocent civilians: "The people are doing you a favor, Ezio. Return it, and keep them safe from harm."

Another thing worth mentioning is his service to the cause. Ever since he joined the Assassins at the young age of seventeen, Yusuf has been a valuable asset, both for his fighting and for his quick thinking. He also seems to spend all his time throughout the game thinking of nothing but the cause and the people of Istanbul (as explained above). It is hinted that Yusuf is one of the main reasons the Assassins are so capable, given that he seems to constantly keep himself busy. At the beginning of the game, when Ezio mentions that it must be difficult dealing with both the Byzantines and the Janissaries, Yusuf responds with "I barely have time to polish my blade." Byzantine attacks seem to be daily if not more, for when one of Yusuf's lieutenants Kasim approaches him with word of a two-pronged attack, Yusuf responds exasperatedly with "Every day, the same bad news!" Finally, when meeting up with Ezio after his foray into Niccolò Polo's old shop, he mentions how he had to maintain relationships with the mercenaries, thieves, and Romanies, and is relieved when Ezio offers to help with the Romanies in his stead. From this it seems impossible that he is not entirely devoted to the Assassin cause, as it eats up his day and night trying to keep the Brotherhood afloat. He seems to be a very dedicated leader as well as an honorable man to his allies, and on top of that one of the Assassin's best fighters and strategists.

The only truly important relationship we see with Yusuf is his relationship with Ezio, however there are two or three others that are mentioned but not shown much. The first is Haci Ahmed Muhiddin Piri, more commonly known as Piri Reis. It is clear that Yusuf and Piri Reis met in the past. But given that Piri seems surprised when Ezio addresses him as "Reis", the equivalent of the title of Captain in the Ottoman navy, and immediately asks Ezio if Yusuf Tazim sent him, it indicates that Yusuf and Piri Reis fought together in the Second Ottoman-Venetian war, when Yusuf was 32. He still refers to Piri as "Reis" even well after the Ottoman-Venetian war, which ended in 1503, which is an outdated title since Piri at the time is a cartographer and navigator rather than a naval captain. It is also possible that Piri became an assassin because of Yusuf; Piri was not said to be a part of the Assassins until 1506, and by then Yusuf had become a strong presence in the Assassins. They both have a common interest in bombs, though Piri is the one who is more likely to have taught Yusuf about them. However, it is clear Yusuf learned quickly from Piri, for he is one of the few Assassins that is shown to use a variety of bombs in his tactics, and seems knowledgeable about the different types of ingredients that can be used to create different types of bombs. He calls Piri a friend more than once throughout the game, though they sadly are not seen interacting; however, it is implied that Yusuf commonly visits Piri's shop.

There is also Yusuf's second-in-command, Dogan. Yusuf seems to trust Dogan implicitly, as it is mentioned at Yusuf's funeral that Dogan would be Yusuf's replacement as leader of the Ottoman Assassins, which is why Ezio offers Dogan the role after Yusuf's death. Another lieutenant under Yusuf's command is Kasim, who only briefly appears in the context of the game, but it is clear that he heavily relies on Kasim as a scout, as he is usually the one to deliver messages back and forth across the city. Despite his need for others to be there when he can't (though he often tries to take on more roles than he can possibly handle), Yusuf commands loyalty from all his Assassin brothers and sisters, who often do not need more than Yusuf's word to carry out an order. Dogan and Kasim are examples of this loyalty.

And then there is Ezio. Yusuf warms up to Ezio from the very beginning, teasing him as if he had been a part of the Ottoman Assassins for years. He respects Ezio's abilities and position in the Assassins, calling him "Mentor" at first, but as they grow into closer friends he begins calling him "Ezio". He often remarks that Ezio is as capable an assassin as he is, saying just before the defense of the Galata Den that he "cannot be in two places at once… but with you here I do not have to be", and just before the recapture of the Imperial North den that "his army has doubled in size". Given that Yusuf Tazim was trained by the infamous Ishak Pasha, a Master Assassin who was responsible for the death of Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler), it is certainly saying something. Yusuf also helps Ezio out with whatever he needs, few questions asked. He sometimes helps out before he's even needed, such as offering Ezio a bomb to take down the Golden Horn chain and allow him to make his way to Cappadocia. He allows Ezio to pursue his own goals despite some of them conflicting with his (such as the riot in front of the Arsenal). He even dies protecting the woman Ezio loves, taking out at least seven Byzantine guards in the process before he is finally defeated and killed.

In short, Yusuf lives up to his title of "affable fighter" that Ezio gives him in one of his letters to his sister Claudia. He is friendly, jesting sort who truly cares for the Assassin cause and for protecting the innocent, ranging from the royalty to the poor. He is a very dedicated man, and an excellent fighter and strategist. He is not a well-studied man, though he takes to learning very quickly (as seen in his young entry into the Assassins at age twenty, his special love for explosives, and his status as a well-known vigilante and thief in Constantinople when he was just seventeen). He is utterly loyal to his friends and a devastating enemy, for he is always watchful and aware of what both his allies and enemies are doing thanks to his vigilance and network of spies.

Powers/Abilities: Yusuf does not have any "powers" per se; he is a standard, normal human in that regard. But he does have many abilities, mostly revolving around his life as an assassin and thief. Since he grew up as a thief, and eventually became the best known thief in Istanbul by the time he was seventeen, it is clear that he is an adept pickpocket, an excellent roofrunner, and is a master of sneaking around and hiding in plain sight. It's also true that as a vigilante, he was and still is an excellent swordsman, defending the people of Istanbul from wicked Byzantines and corrupt Jannisaries alike well before he joined the Assassins.

After his talents caught the attention of his mentor, Ishak Pasha, Yusuf was trained in the arts of assassination. He was trained with a variety of weapons, including throwing knives, hidden blades, and his beloved hookblade, which he can use essentially as an extension of his own arm to climb, swing, turn corners, even zipline around Istanbul, as well as dodge over enemies or even throw them with it. He was also trained in the art of making bombs by the Chinese, as he is the resident bomb expert along with Piri Reis among the Ottoman Assassins. He can make a large assortment of bombs with different types of casings, gunpowder, and filler, customizing them to fit any situation that presents itself... at least, the situations that can be resolved with bombs.

He also has some capability navigating a ship, as he was involved in the Ottoman-Venetian War which mostly consisted of sea battles, though there were a few land battles involved as well. Any electronics on ships he wouldn't be able to handle, but a standard wood sailboat? He's got that. Yusuf's skilled in the arts of war and strategy, seeing as the Assassins were quickly able to bring peace during the war, and he is canonly seen making several plans on the fly that work remarkably well. He's an excellent diplomat and leader, as shown by taking over the Assassins once Ishak Pasha had passed on, his kindness towards civilians, and the unswerving loyalty the Assassins have towards him just from his time as their leader.

Appearance: Sadly there are not many good canon pictures of him, but this fanart is a pretty nice (and accurate) rendition.

Samples:

The "strange dagger" I keep mentioning is the dagger that killed him. I'd like to keep the dagger if possible for emotional growth purposes, and if a potential Revelations!Ezio comes into the game, Yusuf will have an easy way to tell his canon point ICly. If not that's fine, I can just say it disappeared after the fourth-wall event.

Actionspam Sample:

Technically it's in prose, but Fourth Wall shenanigans seem more action-spammy to me. If this doesn't work I'll write up a new sample.

I also have tag-ins into the second part of the Fourth Wall here, here, and here.

Prose Sample:

Polishing his weapons is something that he could rarely afford to do at home, with what little time he had in Istanbul... but here there is no threat to fight, no constant war to wage. In fact it's after he's finished polishing his set of throwing knives, his hidden blade and his hookblade, and his kilij that he realizes just how peaceful his life has suddenly become since his arrival. He would never have this much time at home, not with the Byzantine threat ever looming. What was he to do with himself?

Yusuf shifts and hears the clink of metal against metal on his left hip, glancing down to see the dagger that arrived with him, but was not part of his equipment. He has almost forgotten its presence entirely, as little as he has paid attention to it since his arrival. He stares at the foreign dagger, carefully pulling it from its place at his side and holding it in his hands for a moment. To think that such a plain dagger would have been the thing to kill him. It wasn't even that sharp.

Absently, Yusuf begins to hone its blade, too, taking the small whetstone in his hand. The Asssassin carefully sharpens the edge, first one side then the other, taking his time evening out the blade. Then comes the oilstone, to finish off its luster, slowly grinding it to a deadly edge with an equally deadly point. With that done, he checks his work by tapping his thumb on the new edge, seeing that it cuts like a razor. A fine weapon, now. But then he stares into the blade, and the bright sheen he's put there, his own grey eyes reflected back and staring at him in the steel. Even though he's improved it, it still feels unfamiliar in his hands. Wrong, even though he'd made it a good weapon again. But wasn't everything about this unfamiliar? Wasn't Teleios itself a place for those who had been judged for their wrongs? But with such a heavy debt, Yusuf is finding it more and more unlikely he's ever going to get out of here.

With a soft sigh, he shakes his head, places the dagger back at his hip, and stands up. Amidst all his troubles, he's been dwelling on them too long; too much time alone is making him pensive. He knows he needs to see about finding someone to distract him, someone he can laugh and joke with as he could his Assassin brothers in Istanbul. Perhaps someone would be up for a spar. After all, what good was sharpening his blades if they never got used? He smirks a little at the prospect of showing off his work, putting away his weapons and the sharpening materials, before looking for a potential sparring partner to tease.

BONUS Class A & B Debt Motivation:

Yusuf was an Assassin, and thus he committed murder as his day-time and night-time jobs (that is, probably at least once daily, if not twice, and more during the war he was involved in). Further, he was very skilled at espionage, because Assassins had to keep track of Templar plots and activities, and Yusuf was doing this for at the very least his own country, which was the heart of a major empire. He was probably also spying in neighboring territories as well. Assuming he did each of these once per day, every day, for the twenty-seven years he was an Assassin (age eighteen to his death at age 45), he would accumulate at least 19,700 years of debt. But he was involved in the Second Ottoman-Venetian War which lasted five years, where his death count could have easily reached 35 to 37 people a day if he was sinking galleys at least once a fortnight (which easily held 250 people or so). Assuming this, his death total would get him 75,650 years alone, and mixed with his espionage activities which would net him a good 9,850 years at least, he would be sitting at an A-class total of 85,500 years. Ouch.

For Class B crimes, Yusuf was a thief and vigilante before he became an Assassin, and so he very often committed thievery, burglary/breaking and entering, and assault; after he became an Assassin, he generally stopped with thievery, but still committed breaking and entering and assault quite frequently. Assuming he did at least one of these things per day, every day, for the eleven years he was likely a thief (ages six to seventeen) and then half that for the years he was an Assassin (ages eighteen to forty-five), he would accumulate at least 4,500 years of debt. If he did all three once every day and half that after he became an assassin, it would be closer to 13,400 years of debt. But unless he got a very rich target, he likely committed theft multiple times per day, so the number is probably much closer to 12,100 for the years he was a thief combined with the 7,400 years of B-class debt as an Assassin, for a B-class total of 19,500 years. I'm going to assume the highest numbers here, mostly because Yusuf likes to keep himself busy, eating is hard if you're a street kid who doesn't steal frequently, and also just for the nice round number.